Hey Family and Friends!
I have definitely have had a good week out here!
So things in the 7th ward are beginning to pick up. We met together as a ward yesterday and it was wonderful. We had a ton in attendance and all were excited to be there. There has been some complaint but it's pretty much ironed itself out now. There weren't any teachers called and sustained yet, so we had an extended fast and testimony meeting. Now that everyone has been sustained, things are getting up and running.
Quick update:
So the Lewis family didn't come to church like we committed them to, but we are going to follow up before Wednesday and invite them to the ward party Bishop is throwing for the ward at his home. Bro. and Sis. Lewis are both ex-Army, so they say that they don't get out much and make a lot of friends. We're working on them though.
The Welch kids are still making progress and coming to church. Things are looking good for them in May for court, so we're praying that they will be able to be baptized in May or June. We're hoping to see them twice this week. They have busy schedules so we're trying to work lessons into everything else.
Oh! Jasmine was baptized last night! I was able to stand in her confirmation circle. It was probably one of the most spiritual baptisms I have ever participated in. Jasmine's family had been praying for a very long time to have this miracle take place. The testimonies that were given in that meeting were very strong. She is well on her way!
Elder Neves and I are doing awesome together. He does solid work and he strives to be the best that he can. The Lord has blessed me with incredible companions.
I know that this work is the work of God. The Spirit of God is rolling forth upon the earth today. So many of the hearts of the children of men are prepared to hear the gospel message. Please share your testimonies with all who need them. Give the hopeless something to hope for. This world isn't going to change itself for the better if we sit back and do nothing.
Jesus Christ is real and living. I testify that he is there for us, ready to succor us at any time. All we need to do is show our spark of resolve that we are committed to Him and His church. We accept his atonement through living the doctrine of Christ. This doctrine is the most important thing we can understand in this life. I would invite all to study, ponder, and pray about the doctrine of Christ. It will change your life. It has changed mine.
I love you all, I am thankful for your support.
Elder Holbrook
Monday, April 13, 2015
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
Loving General Conference! 4/6/15
Hey Family and Friends!
This is going to have to be a short letter this time. We have another Zone P-day and we're supposed to meet at the church.
This week has been a good one. We have been exploring our new area, which is pretty big. I cover some of my old area from Quail Creek, and we are getting a lot of members from different units coming to our ward now. We will have to wait till next Sunday to see how big the attendance is, but according to records, we have a bit more than 70% of the ward listed as active.
There's a lot to do here and not a lot of time to get it accomplished. Our Bishop is amazing. We are going to have some of the best members in Oklahoma!
So, basically everyone I was working with before is no longer in my area except for the Welch kids. They're growing in testimony, and it's pretty awesome to see.
We discovered the Lewis family, a part member family. The husband, Zach, isn't a member. We stopped by and talked a bit to get to know them.
Piedmont will most likely be our base of operations in the near future. Not sure how long it will be till we move but we have to find a place and get it approved by Salt Lake, so it could take a little while.
I loved General Conference. Seriously, it's better than Christmas! Remember the immense blessing it is to have prophets and apostles here in these days. Don't let the naysayers get you to doubt your faith; opposition is a reality of this probationary state. Just make the real decision to stay on the righteous side no matter what, and you will receive incredible blessings.
I love my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I am so glad he took the burden of my sins and weaknesses and allowed me to accept his atonement. I am grateful to him for reaching out once more to the children of men and restoring the true church. I know that he lives and that he loves me and you.
Thanks for your loving support,
Elder Holbrook
This is going to have to be a short letter this time. We have another Zone P-day and we're supposed to meet at the church.
This week has been a good one. We have been exploring our new area, which is pretty big. I cover some of my old area from Quail Creek, and we are getting a lot of members from different units coming to our ward now. We will have to wait till next Sunday to see how big the attendance is, but according to records, we have a bit more than 70% of the ward listed as active.
There's a lot to do here and not a lot of time to get it accomplished. Our Bishop is amazing. We are going to have some of the best members in Oklahoma!
So, basically everyone I was working with before is no longer in my area except for the Welch kids. They're growing in testimony, and it's pretty awesome to see.
We discovered the Lewis family, a part member family. The husband, Zach, isn't a member. We stopped by and talked a bit to get to know them.
Piedmont will most likely be our base of operations in the near future. Not sure how long it will be till we move but we have to find a place and get it approved by Salt Lake, so it could take a little while.
I loved General Conference. Seriously, it's better than Christmas! Remember the immense blessing it is to have prophets and apostles here in these days. Don't let the naysayers get you to doubt your faith; opposition is a reality of this probationary state. Just make the real decision to stay on the righteous side no matter what, and you will receive incredible blessings.
I love my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I am so glad he took the burden of my sins and weaknesses and allowed me to accept his atonement. I am grateful to him for reaching out once more to the children of men and restoring the true church. I know that he lives and that he loves me and you.
Thanks for your loving support,
Elder Holbrook
Tornadoes and Stake changes! 3/30/15
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| Scenery in OKC |
A great amount has happened this week. I will do my best to summarize while yet preserving an amount of detail.
On Monday, I reread an email my Dad sent to me about the concepts of "being right" vs "doing what's right", which stuck out to me again. Many times I recognize that I struggle with getting caught up in the web of "being right". The differences between pride and confidence is your maturity and understanding how you are aiding or hindering others in your performances. The problem with exalting yourself above another is you become competitive and contentious. We all know that contention is of the devil (3 Nephi 11:19). As we strive to develop a broken heart and a contrite spirit, the Lord will show unto us our weaknesses and as we work on them in reliance and faith in Him and His atonement, we will overcome our weaknesses. His grace is sufficient for us.
Tuesday was an exciting day. We were able to teach a lesson to Misty, a new investigator we found through her Mom, a recent convert of a couple of years. Misty just gave birth to a baby boy, and we taught the Plan of Salvation. She said that she learned a lot and said that she'd try to come to church. She wasn't able to, but I'll have to explain why later.
We also had an appointment with Jasmine. We taught her the 10 commandments and keeping the Sabbath day holy. We taught her the hand signs for the 10 commandments and she did a really good job remembering which ones they were. It was a really great lesson. She is progressing, her baptismal date is for 11 April.
Wednesday, I'll just jump into the tornado account since nothing really engaging occurred that day as far as missionary work went. Thanks to some heads-up from members as well as our weather radios, we were prepared for the bad thunderstorms that were developing Wednesday afternoon. We had dinner with the Black family, and while we were eating we watched Oklahoma's sky turn green and the weather picked up quick. Green sky is a sign for hail and possible tornado threats, so it was pretty intense. The tornado that touched down was in Moore, which is pretty far away from me but there was one attempting to form near 10th st and Rockwell, which wasn't far away. Needless to say, when you live in Oklahoma you should be prepared for such weather. Luckily our car wasn't damaged by the hail, so that was really nice.
On Thursday we did our regular weekly planning before we went out and talked to some people. We found James, a young kid that is a black belt. He talked a lot about some of his family issues, so we taught him how important families are and how they can be healed through living the gospel. He was interested so we set a return appointment for this week!
Friday we were able to talk to a bunch of kids outside of our dinner appointment and gave them Because He Lives cards for Easter. They told us that they have done some church hopping and they said that they would see if they could come to ours sometime.
Saturday was a service day. We helped a member stack some wood in his backyard and then met with Brian, the one that was doing the yard sale (can't believe I forgot to write his name last letter!). He is reading the Book of Mormon and he has got a lot of insights out of it. He's a pretty cool guy who loves Glenn Beck so we will see what becomes of him.
Sunday was a nuclear explosion for our Stake as a whole. Randomly on Friday we got a bunch of calls and texts from members saying that a stake meeting will happen on 10:00 Sunday, replacing our normal sacrament meetings. The Stake performed a boundary change, and added two brand new wards; the OKC 7th and Edmond 4th. It was pretty interesting because they had to change basically all of the boundaries in the stake to complement the new wards, but it is so inspired when you look at the changes. It's incredible how missionary work is already adapting to the change. Sunday night was transfer calls. I will be opening the OKC 7th ward with Elder Navez (not Chavez, literally Navez). I'm pretty excited! Now because we just moved I will be staying at the same apartment for more than a couple of weeks, so my address hasn't changed yet. Elder Hart is going to Edmond 2nd ward, so I will miss him. He is a great Elder! Elders Read and Gillies are staying in the 3rd ward, taking it over. It's a pretty extensive remodeling job done by President Walkenhorst.
And now today, I'm emailing you!
So yes, quite the remodeling job. But hey, spring is here, and spring is all about change. That's why I love the season!
The weather is predicted to get worse in the next few months. We'll get fairer temperatures but apparently this tornado season is supposed to be intense. We'll have to see what mother nature can bring to the table this year.
My mission experience has been absolutely amazing so far. I honestly think that the catalyst of change has been the most enjoyable thing I have been able to experience. Change in the people I teach, change in the places I go, and more importantly, change in myself. It is such a blessing that we can change through the atonement of Jesus Christ. I stand as a witness of such change, that it is possible no matter who you are or what you've done. Because Christ suffered through our weaknesses with us he understands where we come from and he works with us from that point on. He lives! Now all we need to do is find him through living the gospel. Seek him as you turn the pages of the scriptures, look for him when you come to church, call for him when you pray. I know that these things are true.
Thanks for your enduring love and support,
Elder Holbrook
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| Tree outside Apartment...Spring! |
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| Sky is green with tornado nearby! |
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| Dark sky |
"This place is flat, the weather is insane..." (premonition?) 3/23/15
Hey Family and Friends,
We've had a really successful week!
I was able to meet the kids we are teaching! Their names are Ina, Jada, and Patrick. Ina is 13, Jada is 12, and Patrick is 10. They're really good kids that come from a bad family situation but they have been taken in to the Welch family's home. We taught about the Plan of Salvation and they thought it was cool. They all were really excited for the resurrection especially, they thought that was really cool!
We briefly were able to teach another kid named Rheaven (Pronounced raven), the daughter of a inactive part member family. She and her brother are interested in taking the lessons and the parents just barely allowed it. They set up our next appointment for 6 April, so we won't see them soon but we're definitely going to see them then.
We met a former investigator named Aaron as we were knocking on a potential investigators door. He is from Ghana and he just recently brought his family over to the States. He set up an appointment on Tuesday, so we will see him tomorrow! He mentioned that he's been trying to find a church to go to so we hope to see him this Sunday!
We've had a contact for awhile that was living with a potential investigator. We never really engaged talking to him about the gospel, since we've always been there for the potential. But this time Elder Hart and I felt specifically prompted to share with him the Book of Mormon and we had a really neat discussion in the middle of when he was doing a yard sale. We talked about God and who he is. We invited him to read and to pray about the Book of Mormon and he said that he would do so.
We've been talking to a lot of people and now we're working with a lot of people. When you open your mouth the ball gets rolling. Sometimes, it doesn't get started immediately but it does eventually get rolling. This area has been turning around for the better and now we are seeing fruit come from our labors. It's amazing how fast an area can get people to teach when you stop blaming your environment and change yourself to meet the situation.
The weather has been great so far! Today is going to be high 70's, which will be wonderful! I think we're going to try to get outside today for P-day.
I love Oklahoma and the people here! This place is flat, the weather is insane, and people take it slow here, but amidst all of that the gospel message is blazing forth. Many here are coming unto Christ through the waters of baptism. It is amazing to see the successes and the testimonies of the growing converts of the Church.
It just adds to my testimony that this gospel is true. The Book of Mormon is the word of God. Moroni wasn't kidding when he was exhorting us to read, ponder, and pray about it. Joseph Smith is a prophet of God, and we have a living prophet today!
Love all of you,
Elder Holbrook
We've had a really successful week!
I was able to meet the kids we are teaching! Their names are Ina, Jada, and Patrick. Ina is 13, Jada is 12, and Patrick is 10. They're really good kids that come from a bad family situation but they have been taken in to the Welch family's home. We taught about the Plan of Salvation and they thought it was cool. They all were really excited for the resurrection especially, they thought that was really cool!
We briefly were able to teach another kid named Rheaven (Pronounced raven), the daughter of a inactive part member family. She and her brother are interested in taking the lessons and the parents just barely allowed it. They set up our next appointment for 6 April, so we won't see them soon but we're definitely going to see them then.
We met a former investigator named Aaron as we were knocking on a potential investigators door. He is from Ghana and he just recently brought his family over to the States. He set up an appointment on Tuesday, so we will see him tomorrow! He mentioned that he's been trying to find a church to go to so we hope to see him this Sunday!
We've had a contact for awhile that was living with a potential investigator. We never really engaged talking to him about the gospel, since we've always been there for the potential. But this time Elder Hart and I felt specifically prompted to share with him the Book of Mormon and we had a really neat discussion in the middle of when he was doing a yard sale. We talked about God and who he is. We invited him to read and to pray about the Book of Mormon and he said that he would do so.
We've been talking to a lot of people and now we're working with a lot of people. When you open your mouth the ball gets rolling. Sometimes, it doesn't get started immediately but it does eventually get rolling. This area has been turning around for the better and now we are seeing fruit come from our labors. It's amazing how fast an area can get people to teach when you stop blaming your environment and change yourself to meet the situation.
The weather has been great so far! Today is going to be high 70's, which will be wonderful! I think we're going to try to get outside today for P-day.
I love Oklahoma and the people here! This place is flat, the weather is insane, and people take it slow here, but amidst all of that the gospel message is blazing forth. Many here are coming unto Christ through the waters of baptism. It is amazing to see the successes and the testimonies of the growing converts of the Church.
It just adds to my testimony that this gospel is true. The Book of Mormon is the word of God. Moroni wasn't kidding when he was exhorting us to read, ponder, and pray about it. Joseph Smith is a prophet of God, and we have a living prophet today!
Love all of you,
Elder Holbrook
New apartment 3/16/15
Hey Family and Friends,
This week felt like it took a month out of me! We had so much going on it was insane!
On P-Day we made some extra time to get things done. Tuesday night was fast-paced; the other Elder's in our district taught our scripture study class and right afterwards we had Correlation meeting with our ward mission leader, Brother Schmalbeck. The good news is that we are getting ward missionaries soon! We are helping the ward grow in their missionary labors.
On Wednesday I went on exchanges with Elder Hoddie, my zone leader. I felt like we talked to 70 people. Extending yourself and talking with as many people as possible has become the best way to find new investigators. While on exchanges, Elder Hoddie and I fulfilled an appointment with Jasmine. We taught about the Doctrine of Christ, and it was a really good lesson for her. She is absorbing a lot.
Oh yeah, and we moved this week to our new apartment:
11100 Roxboro Ave #1616
OKC, OK 73162
The Gatchell's (our mission's senior couple that are over housing) gave us a call and told us that Friday after district meeting we will be moving into our new apartment. It was pretty chaotic getting everything together since they called us mid-Wednesday, so we did our best to pack everything and clean what we could. So that was our Thursday and Friday.
On Saturday we were able to attend a child of record baptism in our ward. And Sunday was full of planning for the rest of the week.
The weather has been a ton warmer and it feels great! The forecast claims wet weather for the rest of this week, so we will see how long it lasts.
We haven't been able to meet with Ricky in awhile. He is super busy because of "tax season", so I think that we won't be able to meet with him in a little while. I guess the job of an accountant is a busy one around this time.
I have a testimony of Jesus Christ. I am so glad to be able to preach his gospel. The blessings that come from living the gospel laws are undeniably great! As we are obedient to laws, we obtain greater liberty. I know that this gospel is true and that Jesus is the Christ.
Thanks for all of your support,
Elder Holbrook
This week felt like it took a month out of me! We had so much going on it was insane!
On P-Day we made some extra time to get things done. Tuesday night was fast-paced; the other Elder's in our district taught our scripture study class and right afterwards we had Correlation meeting with our ward mission leader, Brother Schmalbeck. The good news is that we are getting ward missionaries soon! We are helping the ward grow in their missionary labors.
On Wednesday I went on exchanges with Elder Hoddie, my zone leader. I felt like we talked to 70 people. Extending yourself and talking with as many people as possible has become the best way to find new investigators. While on exchanges, Elder Hoddie and I fulfilled an appointment with Jasmine. We taught about the Doctrine of Christ, and it was a really good lesson for her. She is absorbing a lot.
Oh yeah, and we moved this week to our new apartment:
11100 Roxboro Ave #1616
OKC, OK 73162
The Gatchell's (our mission's senior couple that are over housing) gave us a call and told us that Friday after district meeting we will be moving into our new apartment. It was pretty chaotic getting everything together since they called us mid-Wednesday, so we did our best to pack everything and clean what we could. So that was our Thursday and Friday.
On Saturday we were able to attend a child of record baptism in our ward. And Sunday was full of planning for the rest of the week.
The weather has been a ton warmer and it feels great! The forecast claims wet weather for the rest of this week, so we will see how long it lasts.
We haven't been able to meet with Ricky in awhile. He is super busy because of "tax season", so I think that we won't be able to meet with him in a little while. I guess the job of an accountant is a busy one around this time.
I have a testimony of Jesus Christ. I am so glad to be able to preach his gospel. The blessings that come from living the gospel laws are undeniably great! As we are obedient to laws, we obtain greater liberty. I know that this gospel is true and that Jesus is the Christ.
Thanks for all of your support,
Elder Holbrook
Small world 3/9/2015
Hey everyone!
We had a colder week here in OKC. Just about everyone in the district has a cold or a cough but we keep on smiling! It's starting to get warm though, so we are all looking forward to spring!
Monday was a really busy day. We got done with our regular P-Day activities quickly so that we could get going on exchanges (it's basically a companion swap for a day for learning from one another). I went on exchanges with Elder Gillies and we had a lot of fun, unfortunately he was sick, so we weren't able to get out and work like we had wanted to.
Tuesday Elder Hart and I taught the scripture study class we have in the evening. It was about missionary work (I know, such a shocker of a topic choice) and how we can use the class to invite others who might be willing to learn more about the church. After the study class we went to correlation meeting where we meet with our Ward Mission Leader, Brother Schmalbeck. He's a pretty interesting 3/4 german guy who loves guns, knives, and self defense. Needless to say, we get along just fine! (see picture of man holding spear)
On Wednesday we had a winter storm blow in. We promptly froze our butts off as we were helping our Bishop's brother move into the ward. About 3/4 of the way done the moving truck broke down and we spent about 2 hours trying to jump it The battery needed a complete replacement in the end, and since it was an old International truck, the service mechanics that came had to climb under the truck and take off two panels to get to the battery itself. Not fun in 15 degree weather.
Thursday we had a heck of a time trying people but no one wanted to answer their door that day, so we talked to a lot of people. We met a guy who was changing his brake pads on his car that was a Presbyterian. He accepted a Book of Mormon and said that he would read it. He said he wasn't interested in the discussions but if he reads it and catches the spirit of it I think he will be giving us a call.
Friday we had a great appointment with Jasmine! We showed her the Restoration DVD and the knowledge stuck. She is reading the Book of Mormon and she is getting into it. It's pretty awesome to watch her grow in the gospel.
On Saturday morning we cleaned the church building. We were able to meet with the Torres family, who are recent converts who have struggled to stick to the church. They need fellowship, so we went over with their home teachers and taught a lesson with them. They came to church, which was wonderful!
Sunday we did a power hour with the Davick family after dinner, and they asked me if I knew a Fred Holbrook who was a stake president in Montana and a Clayton who was his son. I explained to them that I was Clayton's son, and I guess it proves that it's still "a small world". Sister Davick whipped out some yearbooks and showed me some pictures of my Dad, which were pretty awesome. It's amazing how you can go nearly anywhere in the world and meet someone that knows close family members.
But yeah, it's been a pretty awesome week. I definitely feel closer to my savior as I continue to serve him. A mission is what you make of it, and I feel that I am doing my best, but I know that I can still improve. Jesus really is the Christ, the Book of Mormon is the word of God, and we are led today by prophets and apostles. I love my experience out here!
Thanks for all of your support,
Elder Holbrook
Small world!! Someone in OKC went to high school with Clayton!
Super short! 3/2/2015
Hey Family and Friends!
Unfortunately, this one is going to have to be really short.
We have had a really busy week here in the OKC 3rd ward! Elder Hart and I were able to go to Stillwater on Tuesday to do service for our mission vehicle coordinator, and on Wednesday we had Zone Conference with President Walkenhorst.
Our investigators are getting along. Jasmine came to church yesterday, which was really awesome. Saul has been pretty busy so we haven't been able to meet with him. Ricky doesn't know how his schedule is going to be like so we're going to have to call him later this week.
I love this gospel and I know that this work is the Lord's work. I am grateful to be participating in helping the church grow, and I hope that each and every one of us are looking for those who have been prepared by the hand of the Lord for them to receive the restored gospel.
Love y'all,
Elder Holbrook
Unfortunately, this one is going to have to be really short.
We have had a really busy week here in the OKC 3rd ward! Elder Hart and I were able to go to Stillwater on Tuesday to do service for our mission vehicle coordinator, and on Wednesday we had Zone Conference with President Walkenhorst.
Our investigators are getting along. Jasmine came to church yesterday, which was really awesome. Saul has been pretty busy so we haven't been able to meet with him. Ricky doesn't know how his schedule is going to be like so we're going to have to call him later this week.
I love this gospel and I know that this work is the Lord's work. I am grateful to be participating in helping the church grow, and I hope that each and every one of us are looking for those who have been prepared by the hand of the Lord for them to receive the restored gospel.
Love y'all,
Elder Holbrook
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